Nearly 16 years after attack, remains of 9/11 victim identified

By Jennifer Cruz

Rescue workers search through the rubble that remained after the attack at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. (Photo: AP)
The remains of a victim from the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center have been positively identified, the New York City medical examiner’s office said Monday.
At the request of the family, the name of the victim will not be released, although sources confirmed with the New York Post that the victim was a male and not a police officer, firefighter, or other first responder.
The remains of the victim were positively identified through retesting of DNA. The last 16 years have brought about a number of advances in DNA technology and, with it, retesting of remains previously recovered.
Following the attacks, very few fully intact bodies were found, although more than 21,900 pieces of human remains were recovered from Ground Zero. The unwavering effects of the heat, bacteria, and chemicals from the explosion and subsequent collapse of the towers have made analyzing the remains difficult.
The man was the latest of 1,641 victims to be positively identified since the attack in 2001 and the first victim to be identified in more than two years. Altogether, 2,753 people were killed in